The provinces of North Sumatra and Riau are two other major gateways for drug traffickers, said Wahyu Widada, who led an operation to destroy seized drugs on Tuesday at Banda Aceh.
For winning the war against drugs, all stakeholders in the country need to work together because the fight cannot be carried out by law enforcers alone, he stated.
On Tuesday, the Aceh police destroyed 1.2 tonnes of cannabis, 41.98 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 2,644 ecstasy pills, and 1,041 marijuana plants.
The drugs were seized during a series of raids held from February 11 to March 2, 2020, in which all police precincts in Aceh participated. The operations resulted in the arrest of 48 suspects.
The fact that Aceh remains an entry point for transnational drug traffickers in Indonesia has also been confirmed by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Chief Commissioner General Heru Winarko.
Winarko said drugs are smuggled into Aceh Province from countries such as Thailand and Malaysia via the sea route and alternative paths. They are then distributed in various parts of Indonesia.
In view of the serious threat posed by drug lords, Winarko discussed issues related to Indonesia's war on drugs with top security minister Mahfud MD on December 5, 2019.
One of the issues they deliberated on was the need to execute death row convicts. "Capital punishment is part of the laws that should be imposed," Winarko said following his meeting with the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs.
Several prisoners on death row are yet to face execution for drug-related offences. Apart from this issue, he also discussed several other matters, including distribution of drugs in prison.
He said he believed the easiest way to halt drug trafficking inside prisons was to stall communication networks inside penitentiaries. (INE)
Related news: Aceh police destroy 1.2 tons of marijuana seized during operations
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: M.Haris SA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
